[Dev-C++] No Comparison: Dev C++ & Visual C++

[Yeoh H. <ye...@ye...>]

Hi,

I've been using both Dev-C++ and VC++6.0 for quite a while. In terms of
standards compliance, most people would agree that Dev-C++ (latest version)
is better than VC++6.0.

I admire Dev-C++, the IDE and the MingW compiler system. They are superb
software. I use Dev-C++ for writing Windows software, mostly small shareware
programs or software for personal use.

As a contract programmer for clients running Windows, I find that using VC++
makes life much easier for me and them. It is a very complete tool set for
Windows GUI software development in all aspects, that is graphics, database
programming, ActiveX and all that Microsoft technologies. In addition many
third-party libraries are also available for VC++.

Dev-C++ is a front-end GUI for the MingW compiler system. IMHO it lacks one
major tool, the resource editor. There's a freeware resource editor from the
LCC-Win32 package but one cannot compare it with VC++'s resource editor. I
know one can do without a resource editor but trying to hand-code many
dialog boxes is ridiculous. :-)

For Dev-C++ to be useful, one needs to download other C or C++ library
packages.
Examples are:
1. For GUI development, the best I've seen so far is wxWindows;
2. For client-server database applications, one can use MySQL or Interbase
or Firebird and related interface libs & headers.
3. For embedded database applications, you can use SQLite.
4. For graphics, OpenGL.
This is well and good but like most things, it is easier said than done.
Trying to get all the various packages to work together with Dev-C++  is not
an easy task. However, I noted that over the past several years, more C++
libraries are supporting MingW.

My question to you guys is that how many of you actually use Dev-C++ to
produce commercial Windows software?
What are the problems you face?
How many Windows software development shops use Dev-C++ compared to VC++?

How many of you use Dev-C++ mainly as a C++ learning tool?

Sorry for this long post. In closing I would say that both VC++ and Dev-C++
are useful. It depends on what your aims are. If I were a college student
and were asked to buy VC++ student edition, I might go ahead and do it. It's
not a matter of cost. I see it as an investment only if I were to market
myself as a Windows programmer. Why not use both or more? Dev-C++, MingW,
BCB, VC++ for Windows C++ development work, and GCC or similar for Unix
based development.

Regards,
Yeoh
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
Author of "How to Create an eBook Using Visual C++"
Free Downloads at http://www.yeohhs.com
ICT eBooks by Yeoh HS
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----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Watson <bo...@af...>
To: <dev...@li...>
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 9:27 PM
Subject: [Dev-C++] Dev C++/Visual C++ comparison


> I'm currently at university doing a comp. sci. course, and they've
> recommended we get out hands on the student version of Visual C++. This
> of course costs money that I'd rather not spend.
>
> Up until now, I've been working in Dev C++ for all the assignments
> they've set, however I was wondering if there is any major functional
> differences between the two (I doubt we'll do anything requiring a GUI
> this semester, and next semester we use CodeWarrior on Linux), apart
> from the price difference, what benefits does Dev have over Visual? I'm
> gonna need to pass this by the lecturers and I'd like to have *some*
> idea of what I'm talking about :)
>
> Thanks.
>
> --
> -- Bob
>
> ' To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer. -
Anonymous '
>
> ICQ: 77149742
> AOL: Sanchrin
> MSN: Bo...@af...
> http://www.aftermath.cx/
>
>
>
>
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